Comparison
StackWatch vs checking your Shopify invoice
Reading your Shopify invoice is the free, built-in way to see app charges — and for a single cycle, it's accurate. What it can't do is compare cycles: it won't tell you an app's price went up, surface a charge you forgot you approved, or chart your spend over the year. StackWatch adds exactly that layer of comparison and change-detection on top of the same billing data.
What the invoice does well
It's authoritative and free — it's the actual bill. For one billing cycle it shows precisely what you were charged. If all you need is to confirm this month's charges, the invoice is the source of truth and you don't need anything else.
What the invoice can't tell you
An invoice is a single point in time. It won't say 'this app costs $20 more than last cycle,' won't flag an app still billing that you stopped using, and won't show a 12-month trend. Because each invoice is read alone, cost creep across cycles stays invisible — the charges are all there, but the comparison isn't.
What StackWatch adds
StackWatch reads the same Shopify billing data (read-only, read_apps only) and does the work the invoice leaves to you: it reconciles every recurring charge into one running view, compares each cycle to the last, and flags price changes and new charges within a day of them appearing. It's not a replacement for your invoice — it's the cross-cycle intelligence layer on top of it.
Which to use
For confirming a single month's charges, the invoice is enough and free. If you want to catch price increases early, find forgotten charges, and watch the trend without reading every bill line by line, that's the job StackWatch is built for — and it's free during the private beta.
| StackWatch | Your Shopify invoice | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free during beta; from $19/mo after | Free (it's your bill) |
| Single-cycle charges | Yes | Yes |
| Running per-app total | Yes | No |
| Cycle-over-cycle comparison | Automatic | You do it manually |
| Price-increase detection | Automatic daily email when it moves | Not flagged |
| 12-month trend | Built in | No |
| Forgotten-charge detection | Surfaced automatically | Only if you spot it |
StackWatch reads the same billing data — it adds the cross-cycle comparison an invoice doesn't do.
Frequently asked questions
Doesn't my Shopify invoice already show my app charges?
Yes, for one billing cycle. What it doesn't do is compare cycles — so it won't tell you a price went up, surface a charge you forgot, or show a trend over time. StackWatch adds that comparison layer on top of the same data.
Is StackWatch a replacement for my Shopify bill?
No. Your invoice stays the authoritative record of what you paid. StackWatch reads that billing data read-only and adds cross-cycle reconciliation, trends, and price-change alerts — the analysis the invoice itself doesn't provide.